Contents

Appearance

Akakabuto was a very unique bear, even so that humans were not sure about his species.

One of his most distinctive traits, the one he was named after, was the red mane running down his back. Otherwise he is dark brown like and originally sized similar to the brown bears of Hokkaido.

His right eye is blind, making it easier to tell him apart from his offspring.

Akakabuto was originally around 2-4 meters in height, but eventually grew into incredible 12 meters. In the end, his weight was about 5000 kg.

Ginga Densetsu Riki

Akakabuto has been causing trouble by attacking and consuming the farmer's cattle and soon starts to attack humans. He had different names in different prefectures, such as Kurige and Onikubi.

The hunter, Takeda Gohee starts to hunt the bear together with his dog Shiro. On a hunt Akakabuto attacks Takeda Gohee and the other hunters causing all of them to die except Takeda Gohei who loses his left ear.

Akakabuto and Shiro fight and Takeda Gohee does his best to protect his dog by shooting Akakabuto's right eye out, which also causes the bear a brain damage. Shiro sees no other option than to push Akakabuto and himself down a valley. Akakabuto survived this while Shiro did not.

Ginga Nagareboshi Gin

The hunt for Akakabuto has not stopped. Takeda Gohee is still hunting his death enemy to avenge Shiro and get payback for his ear. Takeda Gohei has got himself a new bear dog, Riki- the son of Shiro.
Akakabuto manages to capture Takeda Gohee and Riki in a crack in a cliff.

Akakabuto had wounded both Takeda Gohee and Riki. Akakabuto throws Riki into a valley as they fight but as Akakabuto is about to attack Gohee which he hate for shooting out his eye, the rescue team arrives and Akakabuto decides to flee.

Time passes and Akakabuto holds the Futago Pass in a firm grip but Gin and Daisuke do their best to fight him off. Riki, who survives the fall, has gathered a group of dogs to overpower Akakabuto and bring him to his death, Akakabuto sees no other option but to do the same. He rallied up troops of bears, and sets them on guard to protect his main fortress, Gajou.

In the final battle, Akakabuto had hid his minions in the cracks of Gajou to surprise the dogs but Riki and his pack manage to kill off Akakabuto's minions. As Akakabuto is the only bear left, he fights fiercely against the dogs which leads to many deaths, including Akatora who tears out Akakabuto's remaining eye.

Akakabuto's death

Riki can't afford to lose any more dogs and shows Gin the Zetsu Tenrou Battouga, they attack Akakabuto's back to cause disability of his arms. Even though Riki and Gin have used a deadly attack the monster bear refuses to die.

But the dogs get help from Takeda Gohee who shoots Akakabuto once but not even that is enough, Akakabuto stands up yet again and attacks Gohee and Riki, they both get badly injured. Gin, in anger, uses the Battouga and slashes Akakabuto's head off, thus killing the demon bear.

Finally, after Akakabuto's death, his reign of terror is over.

Ginga Densetsu Weed

Akakabuto appears and is shown few times as a flashback character. Most of the time he is referred to as the one defeated by Gin, but has been shown in an aura status in the recent Hybrid Arc.

Trivia

His voice actor in GNG anime is Frank Welker, an American actor who is well known for making many animal voices for television shows and movies as well as the voice of Transformers villain Megatron.

Although in GNG he is seen having his head cut off, in GDW anime, Gin is seen slashing through his chest.

In some of the earliest GNG manga pictures, he lacks his famous red mane.